Chapparosa Park Playground Renovation

The Chapparosa Park Playground Renovation Project is focused on the renovation of the playground equipment and surfacing within the existing playground areas. The proposed approach to this park’s playground renovation includes several general goals, to include:

Saving significant skeleton framework of the existing ‘Fort Chapparosa’ play structures, to include vertical posts and footings, some panels, some decks, and the catwalk bridge. Estimated savings from re-use versus these components as new equipment and installation labor costs: Approximately $34,500.

Working with the playground manufacturer to take advantage of a national purchase program (NJPA): Approximate savings $41,500.

Through City direct-purchase of play equipment, saving 30% profit mark-up by General Contractor: Approximate savings $95,800.

In summary: the above three feature items allow the savings of approximately $171,800 to be, instead, invested in more play equipment and better safety surfacing for the users of this park.

The Fort Chapparosa 5-12 age playground will be updated for new, cutting-edge play activities and more realistic look to the fort theme, while the 2-5 age playground is proposed to be completely replaced with new play activity components and a similar themed appearance to compliment the older children’s enhanced play equipment.

Adding a new separate play activity space for both 2-5 age and 5-12 age swings; isolating the swings to significantly increase the safety element for play activities around other play equipment areas. These swings, for the two age groups, replace the existing tire swing, which often has been out-of-service.

Proposed Modifications:

For the 2-5 Tot Lot equipment: changing from 9 existing play activities to 14 proposed play activities

For the 5-12 equipment: changing 20 existing play activities to 29 proposed play activities; some of which may not be available at any other Laguna Niguel public park.

As an overall playground analysis: 18 existing play activities which are less used, are more prone to play activity conflicts, or subject to more frequent repair requirements are being removed. In the proposed design, 32 new play activities are being offered, providing entirely new play challenges, encouraging more imaginative play, offering a stronger playground theme, and providing new safety features to existing play activities.

In place of several traditional steel-framed ladders and climbers, the proposed design offers new log climbers, crawl logs, climbing boulders with connecting netting, tree trunk climbers and a timber climbing wall.

The 2-5 playground would feature (2) pairs of shade roofs, while the 5-12 playground would feature (5) pairs of shade roofs.

Both the 2-5 playground and the 5-12 playground will potentially each include a large overhead shade canopy structures, if the available budget supports these amenities.

Replacing the wood fiber play mix with poured-in-place resilient surfacing.

In the general vicinity of the playgrounds, the renovation project proposes to re-position as well as add numerous additional picnic tables within new Decomposed Granite-surfaced areas, positioned in grouping in three spaces surrounding the playground areas.

Drainage improvements, in the theme of a boulder and cobble streambed, with faux bridge crossings for the DG pathway and concrete sidewalk are also featured in the proposed design.

To assist in the understanding of the proposed playground modifications, please click here for a chart with an inventory of the existing play equipment activities/components, as compared to the proposed equipment activities/components.

Finally, please see the attached aerial image of the current playground area, as well as the proposed renovation design concept plan.

Public input for this project will be received at the Parks & Recreation Commission meeting on Monday, March 18 at 7:00 pm.

Following recommendations from the Parks & Recreation Commission, and direction from the City Council, RFA will prepare Construction Documents for competitive bidding along with the La Plata Park and the Marina Hills Park Playgrounds’ Renovation Project.